Electronic devices with convex displays

ABSTRACT

Electronic devices may be provided with convex displays. A convex display may be used to maximize the internal volume of a device. Convex displays may be formed from one or more flexible layers. A flexible display layer may be mounted to a rigid support structure or a rigid cover layer. Flexible display layers that conform to the curved shape of a rigid structure may provide additional internal volume in which internal components of the device may be positioned.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/866,703, filed Sep. 25, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/184,303, filed on Jul. 15, 2011, which claimsthe benefit of provisional patent application No. 61/454,950, filed Mar.21, 2011, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein intheir entireties.

BACKGROUND

This relates generally to displays, and more particularly, to electronicdevices with displays.

Electronic devices such as portable computers and cellular telephonesare often provided with displays. For example, a liquid crystal display(LCD) may be formed from a stack of display structures such as anthin-film transistor layer with display pixels for providing visualinformation to a user, a color filter layer for providing the displaypixels with color, a touch screen panel for gathering touch input from auser, and a cover glass layer for protecting the display and internalcomponents.

It is often desirable to produce portable devices of minimal size. Usersof portable electronic devices may find a thinner device more desirablethan a thicker device. Compact portable devices are sometimes providedwith convex housing shapes. A convex housing shape may increase theinternal volume of a device while preserving a sleek, thin look that isaesthetically pleasing to a user.

A portable compact device with a convex housing may have a display. Inconventional arrangements, the display is flat, so only the portions ofthe device other than the display have a convex shape. This may limitthe internal volume of the device and may detract from its appearance.

It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improvedelectronic devices.

SUMMARY

Electronic devices may be provided with convex displays.

The convex displays may include one or more flexible display layers andmay be mounted on top of or under a cover layer with a curved shape. Forexample, a flexible display layer may be mounted on top of a rigidsupport member having a convex surface or may be mounted on the concaveunderside of a rigid convex display cover layer.

Convex displays may be provided with touch-sensitive capabilities bystacking a touch sensor array on top of or under flexible displaylayers. Rigid convex displays may be formed from a flexible displaylayer, a touch-sensitive layer, and a rigid cover layer or supportstructure.

Devices having convex displays formed from curved flexible displaylayers may help maximize the use of the internal volume of an electronicdevice.

Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantageswill be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the followingdetailed description of the preferred embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device with aconvex display and internal components in accordance with an embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an illustrative set of display layers that makeup a convex display in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an illustrative electronic device with aconvex display and a bezel formed from a housing structure in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronicdevice with a convex display and internal components in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrativeelectronic device having a convex display with a flexible display layerthat conforms to a support structure in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrativeelectronic device having a convex cover layer and a flexible displaylayer joined by an adhesive layer in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an illustrativeelectronic device having a flexible display layer, a touch-sensitivelayer and a convex cover layer joined by adhesive layers in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an illustrativeelectronic device having a convex display and a connector port arrangedto use the internal volume of the device in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an illustrativeelectronic device having a convex display and internal components inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronicdevice substantially surrounded by a convex display in accordance withan embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An electronic device may be provided with a convex display. The convexdisplay may include a flexible display layer that has been bent to forma curved surface.

Convex displays may be formed from flexible layers such as a flexibledisplay layer (e.g., a flexible organic light-emitting diode array), aflexible touch-sensitive layer (e.g., a sheet of polymer with an arrayof transparent capacitor electrodes for a capacitive touch sensor), aflexible substrate layer, etc. These flexible layers may, if desired, becovered by a flexible or rigid cover layer (sometimes referred to as acover glass) or may be supported by a support structure (e.g., a rigidsupport structure on the underside of the flexible layers). Inelectronic devices with convex displays partially covered by rigid coverlayers, the cover layers may be provided with openings that provideaccess to the flexible layers of the display. For example, a cover glasslayer may have an opening that allows a button member to move relativeto the cover glass layer. As the button member moves within the opening,underlying portions of the flexible display may be deformed (e.g., toallow actuation of an associated switch).

Electronic devices may also be provided with user interface components(input-output components) such as buttons, microphones, speakers,piezoelectric actuators or (for receiving electrical input from a useror tactile feedback to users), other actuators such as vibrators,pressure sensors, and other components. These components may be mountedunder portions of a flexible display.

User interface components may be mounted under the flexible display ormay be integrated into the flexible display. The deformable nature ofthe flexible display may allow a user to interact with the userinterface components (input-output components) by moving the displayinto contact with the user interface components or by otherwise allowingthe display to locally flex (e.g., to allow sound to pass through theflexible display or to allow a barometric pressure measurements of theexterior environment to be made by an internal pressure sensor). Ifdesired, a portion of the flexible display may form a membrane portionof an electrical component. Components that may be provided with amembrane that is formed from a portion of a flexible display includemicrophones, laser microphones, pressure sensors, speakers, etc.

Convex displays formed from flexible and rigid layers that all haveconvex shapes i.e., displays formed from a collection of layers in whichno layer of the display is planar) may provide an aestheticallydesirable external appearance while maximizing the internal volume ofthe device that is available to hold electrical and mechanical devicecomponents.

An illustrative electronic device of the type that may be provided witha convex display is shown in FIG. 1. Electronic device 10 may be aportable electronic device or other suitable electronic device. Forexample, electronic device 10 may be a laptop computer, a tabletcomputer, a somewhat smaller device such as a wrist-watch device,pendant device, or other wearable or miniature device, a cellulartelephone, a media player, etc.

Device 10 may include a housing such as housing 12. Housing 12, whichmay sometimes be referred to as a case, may be formed of plastic, glass,ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum,etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. Insome situations, parts of housing 12 may be formed from dielectric orother low-conductivity material. In other situations, housing 12 or atleast some of the structures that make up housing 12 may be formed frommetal elements.

Device 10 may have a convex display such as convex display 14. Convexdisplay 14 may be formed from multiple layers of material. These layersmay include a touch sensor layer such as a layer on which a pattern ofindium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes or other suitable transparentelectrodes have been deposited to form a capacitive touch sensor arrayor a touch sensor layer formed using other touch technologies (e.g.,resistive touch, acoustic touch, optical touch, etc.). These layers mayalso include layer that contains an array of display pixels. The touchsensor layer and the display layer may be formed using flexible sheetsof polymer or other substrates having thicknesses of 10 microns to 0.5mm or other suitable thicknesses (as an example).

The display pixel array may be, for example, an organic light-emittingdiode (OLED) array containing rows and columns of OLED display pixels.Other types of flexible display pixel arrays may also be formed (e.g.,electronic ink displays, etc.). The use of OLED technology to formflexible display 14 is sometimes described herein as an example. Thisis, however, merely illustrative. Flexible display 14 may be formedusing any suitable flexible display technology. The use of flexibledisplays that are based on OLED technology is merely illustrative.

In addition to these functional display layers (i.e., the OLED array andthe optional touch sensor array), display 14 may include one or morestructural layers. For example, display 14 may be covered with aflexible or rigid cover layer and/or may be mounted on a supportstructure (e.g., a rigid support). Layers of adhesive may be used inattaching flexible display layers to each other and may be used inmounting flexible display layers to rigid and flexible structurallayers.

In configurations for display 14 in which the cover layer for display 14is flexible, input-output components that rely on the presence offlexible layers may be mounted at any suitable location under thedisplay (e.g., along peripheral portions of the display, in a centralportion of the display, etc.). In configurations for display 14 in whichthe flexible layers are covered by a rigid cover glass layer or otherrigid cover layer, the rigid layer may be provided with one or moreopenings and the electronic components may be mounted under theopenings. For example, a rigid cover layer may have openings such as acircular opening 16 for button 17 and a speaker port opening such asspeaker port opening 18 (e.g., for an ear speaker for a user). Device 10may also have other openings (e.g., openings in display 14 and/orhousing 12 for accommodating volume buttons, ringer buttons, sleepbuttons, and other buttons, openings for an audio jack, data portconnectors, removable media slots, etc.).

In some embodiments, portions of convex display 14 such as peripheralregions 20I may be inactive and portions of display 14 such asrectangular central portion 20A (bounded by dashed line 20) maycorrespond to the active part of display 14. In active display region20A, an array of image pixels may be used to present text and images toa user of device 10. In active region 20A, display 14 may include touchsensitive components for input and interaction with a user of device 10.If desired, regions such as regions 20I and 20A in FIG. 1 may both beprovided with display pixels (i.e., all or substantially all of theentire front planar surface of a device such as device 10 may be coveredwith display pixels).

Device 10 may, if desired, have internal user interface components suchas buttons 17 or speaker component 19 that occupy openings such asopenings 16 and 18 respectively in an optional rigid cover layer ofconvex display 14. Buttons 17 may be based on dome switches or otherswitch circuitry. Buttons 17 may include button members that form pushbuttons (e.g., momentary buttons), slider switches, rocker switches,etc. Device 10 may include internal structural components such asstructural component 22 that add a raised structure to a portion ofconvex display 14. Device 10 may include components such as interfacecomponents 24 and 26 that may be fully internal to device 10, but thatreceive input from the user or from the surrounding environment throughphysical interaction with convex display 14. Interface components 22,24, and 26 may be positioned in active region 20A or inactive region 20Iof convex display 14. Interface components 22, 24, and 26 may bepositioned separately from one another or may be commonly located toform a combined component with structural and internal features.Interface components 24 and 26 may be positioned underneath convexdisplay 14 so that convex display 14 must be deformed in order tocontact components 24 or 26 or, if desired may be positioned to remainin constant contact with convex display 14.

An exploded perspective view of an illustrative display is shown in FIG.2. As shown in FIG. 2, convex display 14 may be formed by stackingmultiple layers including flexible display layer 14A, touch-sensitivelayer 14B, and cover layer 14C. Display 14 may also include other layersof material such as adhesive layers, optical films, or other suitablelayers. Flexible display layer 14 may include image pixels formed formlight-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic LEDs (OLEDs), plasma cells,electronic ink elements, liquid crystal display (LCD) components, orother suitable image pixel structures compatible with flexible displays.

Touch-sensitive layer 14B may incorporate capacitive touch electrodessuch as horizontal transparent electrodes 32 and vertical transparentelectrodes 34. Touch-sensitive layer 14B may, in general, be configuredto detect the location of one or more touches or near touches ontouch-sensitive layer 14B based on capacitive sensors, resistivesensors, optical sensors, acoustic sensors, inductive sensors, or forcesensors.

Software and/or hardware may be used to process the measurements of thedetected touches to identify and track one or more gestures. A gesturemay correspond to stationary or non-stationary, single or multiple,touches or near touches on touch-sensitive layer 14B. A gesture may beperformed by moving one or more fingers or other objects in a particularmanner on touch-sensitive layer 14B such as tapping, pressing, rocking,scrubbing, twisting, changing orientation, pressing with varyingpressure and the like at essentially the same time, contiguously, orconsecutively. A gesture may be characterized by, but is not limited toa pinching, sliding, swiping, rotating, flexing, dragging, or tappingmotion between or with any other finger or fingers. A single gesture maybe performed with one or more hands, by one or more users, or anycombination thereof.

Cover layer 14C may be formed from plastic or glass (sometimes referredto as display cover glass) and may be flexible or rigid. If desired, theinterior surface of peripheral inactive portions 20I of cover layer 14Cmay be provided with an opaque masking layer on such as black ink.

Touch-sensitive flexible display section 14AB may be formed from displaypixel array layer 14A and optional touch sensor layer 14B.

FIG. 3 is perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of device 10 withconvex display 14 and convex housing 12 in which housing 12 has anopening 300 that may provide access to, e.g., an audio port. A portionof housing 12 may form a bezel such as bezel 304. Bezel 304 may beformed so that bezel 304 and display 14 form a common smooth surface ormay be formed raised above or depressed below the outer surface ofdisplay 14. Bezel 304 may be a separate bezel member or may be formed asa portion of housing 12. As shown in FIG. 3, top and bottom portions 306of bezel 200 may have a convex (curved) shape that matches thecross-sectional curved shape of convex display 14.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative embodiment ofdevice 10 taken along line 302 of FIG. 3 and viewed in direction 303. Asshown in FIG. 4, device 10 has a convex shape formed by convex housing12 and convex display 14. Device 10 may also include internal componentssuch as battery 310 and components 312. The convex shape of housing 12and display 14 of device 10 may provide device 10 with a thin appearancewhile providing an interior space that is able to accommodate internalcomponents such as battery 310.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative embodiment ofdevice 10 in which convex display 14 is formed by mounting flexibledisplay layer 14A to a convex support structure such as supportstructure 320 (e.g., a rigid support structure having at least a convexexternal surface such as a metal, glass, or plastic support structure)using a layer of adhesive material such as adhesive layer 322. As shownin FIG. 5, the internal volume of device 10, defined by housing 12 andconvex display 14 may include volume 326 above plane 324 (defined byinner edges 328 of display 14) and below inner surface 330 of display14. This is because inner surface 330 of support structure 320 isconcave (in the FIG. 5 example). Volume 326 provides space which may beused for placement of internal components such as component 332 (e.g.,printed circuit boards, antennas or other components). The ability tobend flexible display layer 14A into the convex shape of FIG. 5 thatmatches the convex outer surface of support structure 320 may thereforehelp maximize the interior space that is available within device 10 tomount device components.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of device 10. In theillustrative embodiment of FIG. 6, convex display 14 is formed fromflexible display layer 14A, adhesive layer 322, and rigid cover layer14C (e.g., a layer of rigid plastic or a layer of rigid cover glasshaving a convex external surface and a concave inner surface to whichflexible display layer 14A conforms). Convex display 14 may be formedadjacent to bezel portion housing 12 or may be joined to housing 12 byan additional mounting member. Providing device 10 with a layer such asflexible display layer 14A that conforms to the convex shape of coverlayer 14C (i.e., so that layer 14A conforms to the concave inner surfaceof layer 14C) may provide additional internal volume 326 between plane324 (defined by inner edges 328 of display 14) and inner surface 330 ofdisplay 14.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of another embodimentof device 10. In the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 7, convex display14 is formed from flexible display layer 14A attached to optionaltouch-sensitive layer 14B by adhesive layer 322. Touch-sensitive layer14B may further be attached to rigid cover layer 14C (e.g., a glass orplastic layer) using adhesive layer 340 such that all layers (322, 14B,340, and 14C) of display 14 conform to the convex shape of cover layer14C (i.e., so that layers 14A and 14B conform to the concave innersurface of cover layer 14C). Convex display 14 may be formed adjacent tohousing 12 or may be joined to housing 212 by an additional mountingmember. The convex shape of all layers (14A, 322, 14B, 340, and 14C) maycombine with convex housing 12 to provide a thin appearance for device10 and may provide additional internal volume 326 between plane 324(defined by inner edges 328 of display 14) and inner surface 330 ofdisplay 14.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional perspective view of an illustrativeelectronic device 10 in the vicinity of a connecting structure such asconnecting structure 350 (e.g. an audio port or other female connector).As shown in FIG. 8, audio port 350 may have electrical contacts 352 formating with contacts 356 of a connector such as mating connector 354(e.g., a mating audio plug or other male connector). In the embodimentof FIG. 8, a portion of audio port 350 may occupy a portion of internalvolume 326 above plane 324 (defined by inner edges 328 of display 14).The convex shape of display 14 of device 10 may provide a thinappearance and may provide additional internal volume 326 between plane324 (defined by inner edges 328 of display 14) and inner surface 330 ofdisplay 14 in which a portion of mating connectors such as connector 350may be mounted.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronicdevice 10 in the vicinity of a stack of components 360 such as printedcircuit boards (PCBs), sensors, switches, connectors, batterystructures, or other electronic components. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 9, some components 360 may be mounted partially or completely in aportion of internal volume 326 above plane 324 (defined by inner edges328 of display 14). The convex shape of display 14 of device 10 mayprovide a thin appearance and may provide additional internal volume 326between plane 324 (defined by inner edges 328 of display 14) and innersurface 330 of display 14 in which PCBs and other components 360 may bemounted. The example of FIG. 10 in which components 360 are mounted involume 326 is merely illustrative. Other components or structures mayoccupy volume 326, if desired.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronicdevice in which display 14 of device 10 completely surrounds device 10.As shown in FIG. 10, device 10 may have convex front (upper) and rear(lower) surfaces that are joined along curved sidewalls. Display 14 maycover the front, rear, and sidewall surfaces of device 10 so as tocompletely surround electrical components 360 (e.g., printed circuitboards, integrated circuits, switches, sensors, etc.). Edges 372 may bejoined by a joining member such as joining member 370. Member 370 may bea separate member formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites,metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials,or a combination of these materials, or may be formed from an adhesivematerial.

In the example of FIG. 10, display 14 may be formed by stacking multiplelayers including flexible display layer 14A, touch-sensitive layer 14B,and cover layer 14C. Display 14 may also include other layers ofmaterial such as adhesive layers, optical films, or other suitablelayers. As an example, display 14 may be formed by mounting flexibledisplay layer 14A to a rigid convex support structure having one or moreconvex outer surfaces and one or more associated concave inner surfacesthat completely surrounds device 10. In another configuration, display14 may be formed from flexible display layer 14A, adhesive layer 322,and rigid cover layer 14C (e.g., a rigid cover layer with one or moreconvex outer surfaces and one or more associated concave innersurfaces). In another possible configuration, convex display 14 may beformed by attaching flexible display layer 14A to optionaltouch-sensitive layer 14B using adhesive layer 322. Touch-sensitivelayer 14B may further be attached to rigid cover layer 14C (e.g., aglass or plastic layer) using adhesive layer 340 so that all layers(322, 14B, 340, and 14C) of display 14 conform to the convex shape ofcover layer 14C. These examples are merely illustrative and otherconfigurations of display 14 may be used.

The convex shape of display 14 of device 10 may provide a thinappearance for device 10 and may help to maximize the internal volume ofthe device in which components such as battery 310, PCBs 360 or othercomponents such as component 312 may be mounted. Surrounding device 10completely with convex display 14 may allow the area of a deviceavailable for visual display to be enlarged.

The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this inventionand various modifications can be made by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device having opposing front andrear surfaces and having a curved side surface between the front andrear surfaces, comprising: a housing comprising a glass member thatforms at least some of the rear surface; a display having a rigid coverlayer that forms at least some of the front surface and at least some ofthe curved side surface of the electronic device, wherein the rigidcover layer comprises opposing inner and outer surfaces and wherein theinner surface has a curved portion that abuts a curved portion of thehousing; and an electronic component mounted in the housing between thefront and rear surfaces of the electronic device.
 2. The electronicdevice defined in claim 1 wherein the glass member forms at least someof the curved side surface of the electronic device.
 3. The electronicdevice defined in claim 2 wherein the glass member and the rigid coverlayer meet edge-to-edge.
 4. The electronic device defined in claim 1wherein the electronic component comprises a battery.
 5. The electronicdevice defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises a flexiblepolymer substrate and an array of display pixels that displays imagesthrough the rigid cover layer.
 6. The electronic device defined in claim5 wherein the flexible polymer substrate has a curved portion.
 7. Theelectronic defined in claim 1 wherein the glass member is flush with therigid cover layer at the curved side surface.
 8. The electronic devicedefined in claim 1 wherein the curved side surface of the electronicdevice has a curvature that is different than that of the front surfaceof the electronic device.
 9. The electronic device defined in claim 1wherein the display comprises a touch-sensitive layer having a curvedportion.
 10. The electronic device defined in claim 9 wherein thetouch-sensitive layer is adhered to the rigid cover layer.
 11. Theelectronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a connectormounted in the housing between the front and rear surfaces of theelectronic device.
 12. The electronic device defined in claim 1 whereinthe display comprises an organic light-emitting diode display.
 13. Theelectronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the display comprises aliquid crystal display.
 14. An electronic device having a front and aback, comprising: a glass housing structure on the back of theelectronic device; a transparent display cover layer on the front of theelectronic device, wherein the transparent display cover layer has acurved portion; a display layer having a curved portion and having anarray of display pixels that displays images through the curved portionof the transparent display cover layer, wherein the curved portion ofthe transparent display cover layer has inner and outer curved surfaces,and wherein the glass housing structure has a curved portion that meetsthe inner and outer curved surfaces of the transparent display coverlayer to form a curved sidewall between the front and the back of theelectronic device; and electronic components mounted between the glasshousing structure and the display layer.
 15. The electronic devicedefined in claim 14 wherein the transparent display cover layer has aplanar portion and wherein the array of display pixels displays imagesthrough the planar portion.
 16. The electronic device defined in claim14 wherein the display layer comprises a flexible polymer substrate. 17.The electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the display pixelscomprise organic light-emitting diode display pixels.
 18. An electronicdevice having opposing front and rear surfaces, comprising: atransparent housing member that forms at least part of the rear surfaceof the electronic device; a transparent cover layer mounted to thetransparent housing member, wherein the transparent cover layer has aplanar portion and a curved portion, and wherein the planar portionforms at least part of the front surface of the electronic device; atouch-sensitive layer attached to the transparent cover layer thatdetects touch input on the curved portion of the transparent coverlayer; and a flexible display layer having an array of display pixelsthat displays images through the curved portion of the transparent coverlayer.
 19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein thetransparent housing member comprises glass.